the turmoil- 第50部分

how　I　happened　to　have　it。　　It's　thisthis　letter　you　wrote　my　boy。〃　　He

extended　the　letter　to　her　solomnly；　in　his　left　hand；　and　she　took　it　gently

from　him。　　〃It　was　in　his　mail；　after　he　was　hurt。　　You　knew　he　never　got　it；

I　expect。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　in　a　low　voice。



He　sighed。　　〃I'm　glad　he　didn't。　　Not；〃　he　added；　quickly〃not　but　what　you

did　just　right　to　send　it。　　You　did。　　You　couldn't　acted　any　other　way　when　it

came　right　down　TO　it。　　There　ain't　any　blame　comin'　to　youyou　were

above…board　all　through。〃



Mary　said；　〃Thank　you；〃　almost　in　a　whisper；　and　with　her　head　bowed　low。



〃You'll　have　to　excuse　me　for　readin'　it。　　I　had　to　take　charge　of　all　his

mail　and　everything；　I　didn't　know　the　handwritin'；　and　I　read　it　all　once　I

got　started。〃



〃I'm　glad　you　did。〃



〃Well〃he　leaned　forward　as　if　to　rise〃I　guess　that's　about　all。　　I　just

thought　you　ought　to　have　it。〃



〃Thank　you　for　bringing　it。〃



He　looked　at　her　hopefully；　as　if　he　thought　and　wished　that　she　might　have

something　more　to　say。　　But　she　seemed　not　to　be　aware　of　this　glance；　and　sat

with　her　eyes　fixed　sorrowfully　upon　the　floor。



〃Well；　I　expect　I　better　be　gettin'　back　to　the　office；〃　he　said；　rising

desperately。　　〃I　toldI　told　my　partner　I'd　be　back　at　two　o'clock；　and　I

guess　he'll　think　I'm　a　poor　business　man　if　he　catches　me　behind　time。　I　got

to　walk　the　chalk　a　mighty　straight　line　these　dayswith　THAT　fellow　keepin'

tabs　on　me！〃



Mary　rose　with　him。　　〃I've　always　heard　YOU　were　the　hard　driver。〃



He　guffawed　derisively。　　〃Me？　　I'm　nothin'　to　that　partner　o'　mine。　　You

couldn't　guess　to　save　your　life　how　he　keeps　after　me　to　hold　up　my　end　o'

the　job。　　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　he'd　give　me　the　grand　bounce　some　day；　and

run　the　whole　circus　by　himself。　　You　know　how　he　isonce　he　goes　AT　a

thing！〃



〃No；〃　she　smiled。　　〃I　didn't　know　you　had　a　partner。　　I'd　always　heard〃



He　laughed；　looking　away　from　her。　　〃It's　just　my　way　o'　speakin'　o'　that　boy

o'　mine；　Bibbs。〃



He　stood　then；　expectant；　staring　out　into　the　hall　with　an　air　of　careless

geniality。　　He　felt　that　she　certainly　must　at　least　say；　〃How　　　IS　Bibbs？〃

but　she　said　nothing　at　all；　though　he　waited　until　the　silence　became

embarrassing。



〃Well；　I　guess　I　better　be　gettin'　down　there；〃　he　said；　at　last。　　〃He　might

worry。〃



〃Good…byand　thank　you；〃　said　Mary。



〃For　what？〃



〃For　the　letter。〃



〃Oh；〃　he　said；　blankly。　　〃You're　welcome。　　Good…by。〃



Mary　put　out　her　hand。　　〃Good…by。〃



〃You'll　have　to　excuse　my　left　hand；〃　he　said。　　〃I　had　a　little　accident　to

the　other　one。〃



She　gave　a　pitying　cry　as　she　saw。　　〃Oh；　poor　Mr。　Sheridan！〃



〃Nothin'　at　all！　　Dictate　everything　nowadays；　anyhow。〃　　He　laughed　jovially。

〃Did　anybody　tell　you　how　it　happened？〃



〃I　heard　you　hurt　your　hand；　but　nonot　just　how。〃



〃It　was　this　way；〃　he　began；　and　both；　as　if　unconsciously；　sat　down　again。

〃You　may　not　know　it；　but　I　used　to　worry　a　good　deal　about　the　youngest　o'　my

boysthe　one　that　used　to　come　to　see　you　sometimes；　after　Jimthat　is；　I

mean　Bibbs。　　He's　the　one　I　spoke　of　as　my　partner；　and　the　truth　is　that's

what　it's　just　about　goin'　to　amount　to；　one　o'　these　daysif　his　health

holds　out。　　Well；　you　remember；　I　expect；　I　had　him　on　a　machine　over　at　a

plant　o'　mine；　and　sometimes　I'd　kind　o'　sneak　in　there　and　see　how　he　was

gettin'　along。　　Take　a　doctor　with　me　sometimes；　because　Bibbs　never　WAS　so

robust；　you　might　say。　　Ole　Doc　GurneyI　guess　maybe　you　know　him？　　Tall；

thin　man；　acts　sleepy〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　one　day　I　an'　ole　Doc　Gurney；　we　were　in　there；　and　I　undertook　to　show

Bibbs　how　to　run　his　machine。　　He　told　me　to　look　out；　but　I　wouldn't　listen；

and　I　didn't　look　outand　that's　how　I　got　my　hand　hurt；　tryin'　to　show　Bibbs

how　to　do　something　he　knew　how　to　do　and　I　didn't。　　Made　me　so　mad　I　just

wouldn't　even　admit　to　myself　it　WAS　hurtand　so；　by　and　by；　ole　Doc　Gurney

had　to　take　kind　o'　radical　measures　with　me。　　He's　a　right　good　doctor；　too。

Don't　you　think　so；　Miss　Vertrees？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Yes；　he　is　so！〃　　Sheridan　now　had　the　air　of　a　rambling　talker　and　gossip

with　all　day　on　his　hands。　　〃Take　him　on　Bibbs's　case。　　I　was　talkin'　about

Bibbs's　case　with　him　this　morning。　　Well；　you'd　laugh　to　hear　the　way　ole

Gurney　talks　about　THAT！　　'Course　he　IS　just　as　much　a　friend　as　he　is

doctorand　he　takes　as　much　interest　in　Bibbs　as　if　he　was　in　the　family。　　He

says　Bibbs　isn't　anyways　bad　off　YET；　and　he　thinks　he　could　stand　the　pace

and　get　fat　on　it　ifwell；　this　is　what'd　made　YOU　laugh　if　you'd　been　there；

Miss　Vertreeshonest　it　would！〃　　He　paused　to　chuckle；　and　stole　a　glance　at

her。　　She　was　gazing　straight　before　her　at　the　wall；　her　lips　were　parted；

andvisiblyshe　was　breathing　heavily　and　quickly。　　He　feared　that　she　was

growing　furiously　angry；　but　he　had　led　to　what　he　wanted　to　say；　and　he　went

on；　determined　now　to　say　it　all。　　He　leaned　forward　and　altered　his　voice　to

one　of　confidential　friendliness；　though　in　it　he　still　maintained　a　tone

which　indicated　that　ole　Doc　Gurney's　opinion　was　only　a　joke　he　shared　with

her。　　〃Yes；　sir；　you　certainly　would　'a'　laughed！　　Why；　that　ole　man　thinks

YOU　got　something　to　do　with　it。　　You'll　have　to　blame　it　on　him；　young　lady；

if　it　makes　you　feel　like　startin'　out　to　whip　somebody！　　He's　actually　got

THIS　theory：　he　says　Bibbs　got　to　gettin'　better　while　he　worked　over　there　at

the　shop　because　you　kept　him　cheered　up　and　feelin'　good。　　And　he　says　if　you

could　manage　to　just　stand　him　hangin'　around　a　little　maybe　not　much；　but

just　SOMEtimesagain；　he　believed　it　'd　do　Bibbs　a　mighty　lot　o'　good。

'Course；　that's　only　what　the　doctor　said。　　Me；　I　don't　know　anything　about

that；　but　I　can　say　this　muchI　never　saw　any　such　a　MENTAL　improvement　in

anybody　in　my　life　as　I　have　lately　in　Bibbs。　I　expect　you'd　find　him　a　good

deal　more　entertaining　than　what　he　used　to　beand　I　know　it's　a　kind　of

embarrassing　thing　to　suggest　after　the　way　he　piled　in　over　here　that　day　to

ask　you　to　stand　up　before　the　preacher　with　him；　but　accordin'　to　ole　Doc

GURNEY；　he's　got　you　on　his　brain　so　bad〃



Mary　jumped。　　〃Mr。　Sheridan！〃　she　exclaimed。



He　sighed　profoundly。　　〃There！　　I　noticed　you　were　gettin'　mad。　　I　didn't　〃



〃No；　no；　no！〃　she　cried。　　〃But　I　don't　understandand　I　think　you　don't。

What　is　it　you　want　me　to　do？〃



He　sighed　again；　but　this　time　with　relief。　　〃Well；　well！〃　he　said。　〃You're

right。　　It　'll　be　easier　to　talk　plain。　　I　ought　to　known　I　could　with　you；

all　the　time。　　I　just　hoped　you'd　let　that　boy　come　and　see　you　sometimes；

once　more。　　Could　you？〃



〃You　don't　understand。〃　　She　clasped　her　hands　together　in　a　sorrowful

gesture。　　〃Yes；　we　must　talk　plain。　　Bibbs　heard　that　I'd　tried　to　make　your

oldest　son　care　for　me　because　I　was　poor；　and　so　Bibbs　came　and　asked　me　to

marry　himbecause　he　was　sorry　for　me。　　And　I　CAN'T　see　him　any　more；〃　she

cried　in　distress。　　〃I　CAN'T！〃



Sheridan　cleared　his　throat　uncomfortably。　　〃You　mean　because　he　thought　that

about　you？〃



〃No；　no！　　What　he　thought　was　TRUE！〃



〃Wellyou　mean　he　was　so　much　inyou　mean　he　thought　so　much　of　you　〃　　The

words　were　inconceivably　awkward　upon　Sheridan's　tongue；　he　seemed　to　be　in

doubt　even　about　pronouncing　them；　but　after　a　ghastly　pause　he　bravely

repeated　them。　　〃You　mean　he　thought　so　much　of　you　that　you　just　couldn't

stand　him　around？〃



〃NO！　　He　was　sorry　for　me。　　He　cared　for　me；　he　was　fond　of　me；　and　he'd

respected　metoo　much！　　In　the　finest　way　he　loved　me；　if　you　like；　and　he'd

have　done　anything　on　earth　for　me；　as　I　would　for　him；　and　as　he　knew　I

would。　　It　was　beautiful；　Mr。　Sheridan；〃　she　said。　　〃But　the　cheap；　bad　things

one　has　done　seem　always　to　come　backthey　wait；　and　pull　you　down　when

you're　happiest。　　Bibbs　found　me　out；　you　see；　and　he　wasn't　'in　love'　with　me

at　all。〃



〃He　wasn't？　　Well；　it　seems　to　me　he　gave　up　everything　he　wanted　to　do　it

was　fool　stuff；　but　he　certainly　wanted　it　mighty　badhe　just　threw　it　away

and　walked　right　up　and　took　the　job　he　swore　he　never　would　just　for　you。

And　it　looks　to　me　as　if　a　man　that'd　do　that　must　think　quite　a　heap　o'　the

girl　he　does　it　for！　　You　say　it　was　only　because　he　was　sorry；　but　let　me

tell　you　there's　only　ONE　girl　he　could　feel　THAT　sorry　for！　　Yes；　sir！〃



〃No；　no；〃　she　said。　　〃Bibbs　isn't　like　other　menhe　would　do　anything　for

anybody。〃



Sheridan　grinned。　　〃Perhaps　not　so　much　as　you　think；　nowadays；〃　he　said。　〃For

instance；　I　got　kind　of　a　suspicion　he　doesn't　believe　in　'sentiment　in

business。'　　But　that's　neither　here　nor　there。　　What　he　wanted　was；　just　plain

and　simple；　for　you　to　marry　him。　　Well；　I　was　afraid　his　thinkin'　so　much　OF

you　had　kind　o'　sickened　you　of　himthe　way　it　does　sometimes。　　But　from　the

way　you　talk；　I　understand　that　ain't　the　trouble。〃　　He　coughed；　and　his　voice

trembled　a　little。　　〃Now　here；　Miss　Vertrees；　I　don't　have　to　tell

youbecause　you　see　things　easyI　know　I　got　no　business　comin'　to　you　like

this；　but　I　had　to　make　Bibbs　go　my　way　instead　of　his　ownI　had　to　do　it　for

the　sake　o'　my　business　and　on　his　own　account；　tooand　I　expect　you　got　some

idea　how　it　hurt　him　to　give　up。　　Well；　he's　made　good。　　He　didn't　come　in

half…hearted　or　mean；　he　came　inall　the　way！　　But　there　isn't　anything　in　it

to　him；　you　can　see　he's　just　shut　his　teeth　on　it　and　goin'　ahead　with　dust

in　his　mouth。　　You　see；　one　way　of　lookin'　at　it；　he's　got　nothin'　to　work

FOR。　　And　it　seems　to　me　like　it　cost　him　your　friendship；　and　I　believe

honestthat's　what　hurt　him　the　worst。　　Now　you　said　we'd　talk　plain。　　Why

can't　you　let　him　come　back？〃



She　covered　her　face　desperately　with　her　hands。　　〃I　can't！〃



He　rose；　defeated；　and　looking　it。



〃Well；　I　mustn't　press　you；〃　he　said；　gently。



At　that　she　crie